Information processing apparatus, method for controlling information processing apparatus, and storage medium

ABSTRACT

An information processing apparatus includes a display control unit, a generation unit, and a notification unit. The display control unit displays a device for executing a particular function on a display device. The displayed device includes separate webpages and the separate webpages include a webpage for setting to make the particular function usable. In response to a user selecting the device displayed on the display device, the generation unit generates a uniform resource locator (URL). The generated URL represents the webpage for setting to make the particular function usable. The notification unit notifies the URL generated by the generation unit to a web browser included in the information processing apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatuscapable of communicating with a device via a network, a method forcontrolling the information processing apparatus, and a storage mediumstoring a program.

Description of the Related Art

A device, such as a multifunction peripheral, provides various functionssuch as printing, copying, scanning, and facsimile functions. In orderfor a user to use the functions, setting required for each of thefunctions is to be previously made for the device. In order to use afunction of attaching image data obtained by scanning in a device as anattached file to an electronic mail and sending the image data attachedto the electronic mail to an apparatus on a network, for example, a mailserver is to be previously set for the device.

In order to simplify the setting, a technique for enabling various typesof setting for a device has been known, in which the device has a Webserver function to generate a webpage for performing the various typesof setting and operates a web browser included in a personal computer(PC) on a network (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2002-7095).

The above-mentioned conventional technique is convenient because a usercan operate his/her own PC to perform initialization required for thedevice. However, the webpage is usually identified uniquely by a uniformresource locator (URL). In order for the user to display a desiredwebpage via a web browser, therefore, the user needs to know a URL ofthe webpage. Alternatively, in order for the user to reach a desiredwebpage after displaying a particular webpage (e.g., a front page), theuser needs to follow several links and search for the webpage. Further,when the user does not find out what initialization is to be performedfor a function which it desires to use, the user cannot reach a webpagefor the setting.

The above-mentioned conventional technique is not necessarily easy touse for a user who does not know much about a setting required for afunction provided by the device or a user who is unfamiliar with anoperation of the web browser.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to enabling simple access to thewebpage for setting a function desired by a user out of webpagesprovided by a device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an informationprocessing apparatus includes a display control unit, a generation unit,and a notification unit. The display control unit displays a device forexecuting a particular function on a display device. The displayeddevice includes separate webpages and the separate webpages include awebpage for setting to make the particular function usable. In responseto a user selecting the device displayed on the display device, thegeneration unit generates a uniform resource locator (URL). Thegenerated URL represents the webpage for setting to make the particularfunction usable. The notification unit notifies the URL generated by thegeneration unit to a web browser included in the information processingapparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an informationprocessing apparatus includes a display control unit, a generation unit,and an acquisition unit. The display control unit displays a device forexecuting a particular function on a display device. The displayeddevice includes separate webpages and the separate webpages include awebpage for setting to make the particular function usable. In responseto a user selecting the device displayed on the display device, thegeneration unit generates a URL. The generated URL represents thewebpage for setting to make the particular function usable. Theacquisition unit accesses the URL generated by the generation unit toacquire a webpage corresponding to the URL. The display control unitdisplays the webpage acquired by the acquisition unit on the displaydevice.

Further features and aspects of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of exemplaryembodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features,and aspects of the invention and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a network system according to thepresent exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware configuration of a client PC in thepresent exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a software configuration of a client PC in thepresent exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a processing flow of an application in a client PC in thepresent exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a display screen in a first exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a display screen in a second exemplaryembodiment.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an example of a display screen in a thirdexemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a display screen in a fourth exemplaryembodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the inventionwill be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a network system according to afirst exemplary embodiment. The network system illustrated in FIG. 1includes client PCs 10 and 20, and network devices 30, 40, and 50. Eachof the client PCs 10 and 20 and each of the network devices 30, 40, and50 can communicate with each other via a network 60. Each of the clientPCs 10 and 20 is an information processing apparatus such as a personalcomputer or a mobile phone. Each of the network devices 30, 40, and 50may be a printer, a scanner, a copying machine, a multifunctionperipheral, or the like including a Web server function for generating awebpage and providing the webpage to a web browser, or may be an audiovisual (AV) apparatus such as a television or a video and an apparatussuch as a router. The network 60 may be a local area network (LA), awide area network (WAN), or a wireless network. The webpage (or webpage) may be a document or resource of information that is suitable forthe network 60 and can be accessed through a web browser and displayedon a computer screen. A uniform resource locator (URL) may include aunique string of characters that represents the location or address of aresource on a network and how that resource should be accessed. In thatway, the URL may represent the webpage.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a product name of the networkdevice 30 and the network device 40 is “AAA”, and a product name of thenetwork device 50 is “BBB”. The product name is given for each apparatustype by a manufacturer, and cannot be changed by a user. On the otherhand, “NETWORK DEVICE 30”, “NETWORK DEVICE 40”, and “NETWORK DEVICE 50”are device names that can be optionally set.

In the present exemplary embodiment, all the network devices 30, 40, and50 have an electronic mail sending function. The electronic mail sendingfunction is a function of attaching data held by the network device toan electronic mail and sending the data attached to the electronic mailto a network. The data attached to the electronic mail to be sentinclude image data generated by a scanner included in a network deviceand image data previously stored in a storage unit included in thenetwork device, and various types of data.

FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware configuration of the client PCs 10 and 20(hereinafter collectively referred to as a client PC) in the presentexemplary embodiment. The client PC includes a central processing unit(CPU) 201 for executing a program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 202or a hard disk (HD) 211 or supplied from a floppy (trade mark) diskdrive (FD) 212 or in a compact disk (CD)-ROM or a digital versatile disk(DVD)-ROM (not illustrated).

A random access memory (RAM) 203 functions as a main memory, a workarea, or the like in the CPU 201. A keyboard controller (KBC) 205controls an instruction input from a keyboard (KB) 209 or a pointingdevice (not illustrated). A cathode ray tube controller (CRTC) 206controls display on a cathode ray tube (CRT) display 210 serving as adisplay device. A disk controller (DKC) 207 controls access to the HD211, and the FD 212 or a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM (not illustrated) storing aboot program, various applications, a predetermined file, and so on. Anetwork interface card (NIC) 208 bi-directionally exchanges data withthe network device via the network 60.

FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration of software stored in a storage unit(the ROM 202 or the HD 211) included in the client PC according to thepresent exemplary embodiment. The client PC in the present exemplaryembodiment includes a web browser 101 having a function of accessing aWeb server, acquiring a webpage, and displaying the webpage on a displayunit (the CRT display 210). The client PC further includes anapplication 102. The application 102 includes a URL generation unit1021, a user interface (UI) control unit (display control unit) 1022, adevice information acquisition unit 1023, and a display condition 1024,and executes processing described below. In the present exemplaryembodiment, the application 102 is used to make a user set an electronicmail sending function out of functions of the network device. Theapplication 102 is stored in a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a floppy (trade mark)disk, or the like, supplied to the client PC, and installed into theclient PC by the DKC 207 to be executed. Alternatively, the application102 may be acquired from an external apparatus via the network 60.

The processing executed by the application 102 included in the client PCin the present exemplary embodiment will be described with reference toFIG. 4. Processes illustrated in FIG. 4 are performed by the CPU 201executing a program for the application 102 stored in the client PC.

When the application 102 is started in the client PC, then in step S401,the CPU 201 displays an initial screen of the application 102 on thedisplay unit (CRT display 210). The displayed initial screen indicatesthat the application 102 is used to make a setting for making anelectronic mail sending function usable, or display notes for use. Whenthe user selects a particular button in the initial screen, the CPU 201can start to search for a network device. If the user selects theparticular button, the processing proceeds to step S402. In step S402,the CPU 201 receives an instruction to start to search for a networkdevice. In step S403, the CPU 201 performs the search. Morespecifically, the client PC sends a search request packet requesting anetwork device connected to the network 60 to send in response itsdevice information based on a predetermined protocol. The search requestpacket may be sent using a broadcast or a multicast, or may be sent, ifan Internet protocol (IP) address of a desired network device(identification information in the network 60) is known, using a unicastperformed by designating the IP address. The network device that hasreceived the search request packet sends its own device informationtoward the client PC. The device information sent at this time includesa device name, a product name, an IP address, an installation location,and so on. In the present exemplary embodiment, a device name “NETWORKDEVICE 30”, a product name “AAA”, etc. are sent from the network device30. A device name “NETWORK DEVICE 40”, a product name “AAA”, etc. aresent from the network device 40. A device name “NETWORK DEVICE 50”, aproduct name “BBB”, etc. are sent from the network device 50. The sentdevice information may include other information such as informationrepresenting a function of a network device and state information.

In step S404, the device information acquisition unit 1023 receives thedevice information sent from the network device as a response to thesearch request packet. In step S405, the CPU 201 then compares thereceived device information with the display condition 1024, to specifya device to be displayed (a display object device) as a search result.In the present exemplary embodiment, some products have a webpage forsetting to make an electronic mail sending function usable (hereinafterreferred to as a webpage for setting an electronic mail sendingfunction), while other products do not. A product with the product name“AAA” has the webpage for setting an electronic mail sending function,and a product with the product name “BBB” does not have the webpage forsetting an electronic mail sending function. This information is held inthe display condition 1024. More specifically, the product name (productname “AAA”) of the product having the webpage for setting an electronicmail sending function is held in the display condition 1024. In stepS405, the CPU 201 compares the product name included in the receiveddevice information with the product name held in the display condition1024, to specify, if they match each other, the network device havingthe product name as a display object device. More specifically, only thenetwork device having the webpage for setting an electronic mail sendingfunction is specified as a display object device. In the presentexemplary embodiment, the network device 30 and the network device 40are specified as devices for display.

In step S406, the UI control unit 1022 displays a screen on which thenetwork devices specified in step S405 are displayed as a list on thedisplay unit. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a list display screendisplayed at this time. In an example illustrated in FIG. 5, respectivedevice names and IP addresses of the network device 30 and the networkdevice 40 are displayed as a list on a screen 501, and a re-searchbutton 502 is displayed. In step S407, the CPU 201 determines whetherthe re-search button 502 is pressed. If the re-search button 502 ispressed (YES in step S407), the processing returns to step S403. In stepS403, the CPU 201 can search for a network device again.

In step S408, the CPU 201 is responsive to the user who selects anynetwork device from the list display screen, and then presses a “DISPLAYSETTING PAGE” button 503 to specify the network device selected by theuser. In step S409, the URL generation unit 1021 generates an URL foraccessing “a webpage for setting an electronic mail sending function” ofthe network device based on an IP address of the network devicespecified in step S408. More specifically, the URL generation unit 1021adds predetermined path information “email_setting” to the IP address ofthe specified network device. Thus, a URL “http://<IPaddress>/email_setting.html” is generated. In step S410, the CPU 201notifies (e.g., transmits, sends) the generated URL to the web browser101, and requests the web browser to access the URL. While as a rule forgenerating a URL, predetermined path information is added in thisexample, a predetermined port number may also be added, for example.When the above-mentioned processes are performed, the processing of theapplication 102 is terminated.

Then, the web browser 101 in the client PC accesses the URL notifiedinstep S410, acquires a webpage from a network device corresponding tothe notified URL, and displays the webpage on the display unit. Morespecifically, a webpage for setting an electronic mail sending functionis displayed in the client PC. The webpage for setting an electronicmail sending function includes an entry field of a mail server such as asimple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) server or a setting entry field forSMTP authentication, and an editing field for an address book ofdestination electronic mail addresses. The user can perform desiredsetting from the webpage for setting an electronic mail sending functionby operating the web browser 101 in the client PC.

In the present exemplary embodiment, only by starting the application102 and selecting, out of network devices searched for, the desirednetwork device, a webpage for setting to be performed for the networkdevice is automatically displayed. Therefore, in setting an electronicmail sending function of a network device, the user is not required toknow a URL of the webpage for setting in advance. Alternatively, theuser is not required to display a front page (or any page) of a webpageprovided by the network device using a web browser, and then follow alink, to search for a webpage for setting an electronic mail sendingfunction.

In the first exemplary embodiment, a network device has a webpage forsetting a particular function, for example, a webpage for setting anelectronic mail sending function. In a second exemplary embodiment, anetwork device has separate webpages for respectively setting aplurality of functions. A difference from the first exemplary embodimentwill be described below.

In the second exemplary embodiment, a device name and a product name ofa network device 30 in a network system illustrated in FIG. 1 arerespectively “NETWORK DEVICE 30” and “XXX”. A product with the productname XXX has a webpage for setting a copying function, a webpage forsetting an electronic mail sending function, and a webpage for setting afacsimile function. A device name and a product name of a network device40 in the network system illustrated in FIG. 1 are respectively “NETWORKDEVICE 40” and “YYY”. A product with the product name YYY has a webpagefor setting a copying function, a webpage for setting an electronic mailsending function, and a webpage for setting a facsimile function. Adevice name and a product name of a network device 50 in the networksystem illustrated in FIG. 1 are respectively “NETWORK DEVICE 50” and“ZZZ”. A product with the product name ZZZ has a webpage for setting acopying function and does not have a webpage for setting an electronicmail sending function and a webpage for setting a facsimile function.

In the second exemplary embodiment, an application 102 included in aclient PC also performs processing according to the flowchartillustrated in FIG. 4 in the first exemplary embodiment. In the secondexemplary embodiment, a list display screen displayed in step S406 is ascreen illustrated in FIG. 6. More specifically, a “COPY” button 601, an“Email” button 602, and a “FAX” button 603 (functional buttons) aredisplayed. Responsive to a user selecting any one of the buttons,network devices displayed in a list display area 604 are switched toonly a network device having a webpage for setting a functioncorresponding to the selected button.

More specifically, in the second exemplary embodiment, every time anyone of the buttons (functional buttons) 601 to 603 is pressed, a processin step S405 illustrated in FIG. 4 is performed. When the COPY button601 is pressed, for example, the CPU 201 refers to a display condition1024, to identify names of products having a webpage for setting acopying function as XXX, YYY, and ZZZ. The product names are comparedwith a product name included in device information acquired from each ofnetwork devices, to specify the network device as a display objectdevice. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a screen displayed when a userpresses the “Email” button 602. On this screen, only the network devices30 and 40 respectively corresponding to the product names XXX and YYYeach having a webpage for setting an electronic mail sending functionare displayed as a list.

When the user selects either one of the network devices, and presses a“DISPLAY SETTING PAGE” button 605, a URL generation unit 1021 generatesa URL. In the second exemplary embodiment, different URLs are generateddepending on the functions selected by the functional buttons. If the“COPY” button 601 is selected, for example, predetermined pathinformation “copy_setting” is added to an IP address, to generate a URL“http://<IP address>/copy_setting.html”. If the “Email” button 602 isselected, predetermined path information “email_setting” is added to anIP address, to generate a URL “http://<IP address>/email_setting.html”.If the FAX button 603 is selected, predetermined path information“fax_setting” is added to an IP address, to generate a URL “http://<IPaddress>/fax_setting.html”.

If each of the network devices has webpages for respectively setting aplurality of functions, the network devices are displayed as a list foreach of the functions so that the network device not having the webpagefor setting the function is not erroneously selected. Even if the samenetwork device has webpages for setting by URLs that differ depending onfunctions, the URLs are automatically generated to correspond to thewebpages for setting. Therefore, the user can simply browse a desiredwebpage.

In the above-mentioned example, the functional buttons 601 to 603 areprovided in a search result list screen and a network device hasseparate webpages for respectively setting a plurality of functions.Every time the functional button is selected, network devices displayedas a list are correspondingly changed. However, another method can alsobe used.

FIG. 7A illustrates an example of display using a method other than thatillustrated in FIG. 6 for a case where a network device has separatewebpages for respectively setting a plurality of functions. In theexample illustrated in FIG. 7, setting page specifying buttons 701 to703 are provided instead of the functional buttons 601 to 603 on ascreen displayed in step S406. All network devices 30 to 50 aredisplayed in a list display area 704. When a user selects any one of thenetwork devices, and selects any one of the setting page specifyingbuttons 701 to 703, a CPU 201 determines whether the selected networkdevice has a selected webpage for setting. If it is determined that theselected device has the selected webpage for setting, a URL generationunit 1021 generates a URL. A generation method at this time is asdescribed above. On the other hand, if it is determined that theselected network device does not have the selected webpage for setting,a screen illustrated in FIG. 7B is displayed. The screen illustrated inFIG. 7B is displayed to notify the user that the selected network devicedoes not have the selected webpage for setting. FIG. 7 illustrates anexample in which the user selects the network device 40 on the screenillustrated in FIG. 7A, and presses the “DISPLAY FAX SETTING PAGE”button 703. Since the network device 40 does not have the webpage forsetting a facsimile function, as described above, the screen illustratedin FIG. 7B is displayed to notify the user that the network device 40does not have the webpage for setting a facsimile function. Thedetermination in this case is made by comparing information relating toa product held in the display condition 1024 with a product name indevice information received from each of the network devices.

In either one of the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments, a networkdevice has a webpage for setting to make a function usable, and a clientPC simply accesses the webpage. In a third exemplary embodiment, anetwork device has a webpage for error information, which indicates away to cope with an error, in addition to the first and second exemplaryembodiments. Differences from the first and second exemplary embodimentswill be described below.

In the present exemplary embodiment, product names of a network device30 and a network device 40 are “AAA”, and a product name of a networkdevice 50 is “BBB”. Device names of the network devices 30, 40, and 50are respectively “NETWORK DEVICE 30”, “NETWORK DEVICE 40”, and “NETWORKDEVICE 50”. A product with the product name AAA has a webpage for errorinformation, and a product with the product name BBB has no webpage forerror information.

Also in the present exemplary embodiment, a client PC searches for anetwork device according to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4. In thepresent exemplary embodiment, device information received from a networkdevice in step S404 includes error information indicating that an errorcurrently occurs in the network device. The error information includesinformation as to whether an error occurs and an error code serving asinformation for specifying the occurring error.

When a CPU 201 in the client PC receives device information includingerror information, it specifies, out of devices that have responded to asearch, the device having an error occurring therein and having awebpage for error information. The specified device is a device fordisplay. The CPU 201 determines whether a network device has a webpagefor error information, by using information relating to a product nameheld in a display condition 1024. In the present exemplary embodiment,the display condition 1024 holds a product name of a product having awebpage for error information.

In the present exemplary embodiment, if no error occurs in the networkdevice 30 and errors occur in the network devices 40 and 50, then instep S405, only the network device 40 is specified as the device fordisplay. The network device 30 has no error occurring therein, and thenetwork device 50 has an error occurring therein but has no webpage forerror information.

FIG. 8A illustrates an example of a screen displayed on a client PCwhich an application 102 processes in the present exemplary embodiment.As described above, network devices having an error currently occurringtherein and having a webpage for error information are each displayed ina list display area 801. When a user selects any one of the networkdevices, and presses a “CONFIRM WAY OF COPING” BUTTON 802, a screenillustrated in FIG. 8B is displayed. On the screen illustrated in FIG.8B, contents (an error code and classification) of errors currentlyoccurring in the network device selected in FIG. 8A are displayed. Whileconfirming the display, the user can select the error as to which theuser desires to know a way of coping with it. When any one of the errorsis selected on the screen illustrated in FIG. 8B, and an OK button ispressed, an URL generation unit 1021 generates a URL for accessing awebpage for error information corresponding to the error. When thenumber of errors that occur is only one, the display illustrated in FIG.8B may be omitted, generation of a URL may be started in response to thebutton 802 being pressed.

The URL generation unit 1021 adds predetermined path information “error”to an IP address of a specified network device, to generate a URL“http://<IP address>/error.html”. The generated URL is notified to a webbrowser 101, and the web browser 101 is requested to access the URL.When a webpage for error information is changed for each error code,path information “error/<error code>” may be added, to generate a URL“http://<IP address>/error/301.html”, for example.

The web browser 101 that was notified of the URL accesses the URL, toacquire a webpage for error information from a network device anddisplay the webpage for error information. When an error occurs in thenetwork device, therefore, the user can confirm a content of the errorand a way to cope with the error using a web browser in the client PC.This eliminates the needs to know a URL of a webpage in advance andfollow a link to search for the webpage.

The above-mentioned first to third exemplary embodiments can beoptionally combined with one another. The present invention is notlimited to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments, and variousmodifications can be made. In the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments,determination as to whether each of the network devices has a particularwebpage is made depending on a product name. More specifically, thedetermination is made based on information as to whether the displaycondition 1024 in the application 102 holds a product name of a producthaving a particular webpage in advance. However, device informationacquired from a device as a response to a search may include informationas to whether a product has a particular webpage. Alternatively, only anetwork device having a particular webpage as a search condition inperforming a search may respond to the search.

While the application 102 itself is provided as software having nofunction of a web browser 101 in the above-mentioned exemplaryembodiments, the application 102 may have a function of the web browser101. More specifically, the application 102 may acquire a webpage usinga URL generated by the URL generation unit 1021. The application 102 mayanalyze the acquired webpage (e.g., a Hypertext Makeup Language (HTML)file) and display the webpage on a display unit included in the clientPC. Thus, a similar function to those in the above-mentioned exemplaryembodiments can be achieved even in a client PC including no web browser101.

While a noncompliant network device is not displayed on the searchresult display screens illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8, the noncompliantnetwork device may be made unselectable, although displayed.Alternatively, the noncompliant network device maybe displayed ingray-out. In the case, the user can notice the existence of the networkdevice.

Further, on the search result display screens illustrated in FIGS. 5 to8, a network device in which a particular function has been set maybeexempted from a display object device. Thus, the user can be preventedfrom erroneously selecting a network device in which a particularfunction has already been set. Particularly when the same device namehas been registered in a plurality of network devices, the user easilyselects the desired network device (in which a particular function hasnot been set yet).

While a function corresponding to a webpage for setting include anelectronic mail sending function, a copying function, and a facsimilefunction as an example, other functions may be similarly used. The otherfunctions include a file transfer protocol (FTP) sending function, aserver message block (SMB) sending function, an Internet facsimile(IFAX) sending function, a printing function, and a scanning function.

Other Embodiments

Aspects of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of asystem or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or MPU) that reads out andexecutes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functionsof the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method, the steps ofwhich are performed by a computer of a system or apparatus by, forexample, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory deviceto perform the functions of the above-described embodiment(s). For thispurpose, the program is provided to the computer for example via anetwork or from a recording medium of various types serving as thememory device (e.g., computer-readable medium). In an example, acomputer-readable medium may have stored thereon, a program that causesinformation processing apparatus to perform a method described herein.In another example, a central processing unit (CPU) may be configured tocontrol at least one unit utilized in a method or apparatus describedherein.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all modifications, equivalent structures, and functions.

This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No.2009-288826 filed Dec. 21, 2009, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A display method for displaying a web page forinputting a setting required for using an email function of a networkdevice on a web browser of an information processing apparatus capableof communicating with the network device, the display method comprising:searching for a network device capable of communicating with theinformation processing apparatus via a network; displaying one or morenetwork devices searched for in the searching; selecting a networkdevice from the one or more network devices displayed in the displaying;generating location information including device information obtainedfrom the network device selected in the selecting; and notifying the webbrowser of the location information generated in the generating, whereinthe web browser obtains, based on the location information, informationabout a web page for inputting a setting required for using an emailfunction of the selected network device, from the selected networkdevice, and displays the web page based on the obtained information. 12.The display method according to claim 11, wherein the locationinformation is a URL.
 13. The display method according to claim 11,wherein the device information is an internet protocol (IP) address ofthe selected network device.
 14. The display method according to claim11, wherein the location information includes the device informationobtained from the network device and predetermined information.
 15. Thedisplay method according to claim 14, wherein the predeterminedinformation is pass information or a port number.
 16. The display methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the setting required for using the emailfunction is one or more of information related to an E-mail server,information related to an SMTP authentication, and information relatedto a destination E-mail address.
 17. The display method according toclaim 11, wherein the searching is executed according to a userinstruction.
 18. The display method according to claim 11, furthercomprising obtaining the device information from the network devicecapable of communicating with the information processing apparatus as asearch result of the searching.
 19. The display method according toclaim 11, further comprising specifying, based on the device informationobtained in the obtaining, the one or more network devices to bedisplayed in the displaying.
 20. The display method according to claim19, wherein, in the specifying, the one or more network devices to bedisplayed in the displaying is specified based on a product name of thenetwork device obtained in the obtaining.
 21. The display methodaccording to claim 11, wherein, in the displaying, both a device name ofa network device and an IP address of the network device are displayed.22. The display method according to claim 11, wherein, in thegenerating, the location information is generated according to thenetwork device having been selected in the selecting.
 23. Anon-transitory storage medium that stores an application program fordisplaying a web page for inputting a setting required for using anemail function of a network device on a web browser of an informationprocessing apparatus capable of communicating with the network device,the application program comprising: a search code for searching for anetwork device capable of communicating with the information processingapparatus via a network; a display code for displaying searched—for oneor more network devices; a selection code for selecting a network devicefrom the displayed one or more network devices; a generation code forgenerating location information including device information obtainedfrom the selected network device; and a notification code for notifyingthe web browser of the generated location information.
 24. Thenon-transitory storage medium according to claim 23, wherein thelocation information is a URL.
 25. The non-transitory storage mediumaccording to claim 23, wherein the device information is an internetprotocol (IP) address of the selected network device.
 26. Thenon-transitory storage medium according to claim 23, wherein thelocation information includes the device information obtained from thenetwork device and predetermined information.
 27. The non-transitorystorage medium according to claim 26, wherein the predeterminedinformation is pass information or a port number.
 28. The non-transitorystorage medium according to claim 23, wherein the setting required forusing the email function is one or more of information related to anE-mail server, information related to an SMTP authentication, andinformation related to a destination E-mail address.
 29. Thenon-transitory storage medium according to claim 23, wherein the searchcode is executed according to a user instruction.
 30. The non-transitorystorage medium according to claim 23, wherein the application programfurther comprises an obtaining code for obtaining the device informationfrom the network device capable of communicating with the informationprocessing apparatus.
 31. The non-transitory storage medium according toclaim 23, wherein the application program further comprises a specifyingcode for specifying, based on the obtained device information, the oneor more network devices to be displayed.
 32. The non-transitory storagemedium according to claim 31, wherein the specifying code is a code forspecifying the one or more network devices to be displayed by thedisplaying code based on a product name of the network device obtainedby the obtaining code.
 33. The non-transitory storage medium accordingto claim 23, wherein the displaying code is a code for displaying both adevice name of a network device and an IP address of the network device.34. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 23, wherein thegeneration code is executed according to the network device having beenselected.
 35. An information processing apparatus for displaying, on aweb browser, a web page for inputting a setting required for using anemail function of a network device, the information processing apparatuscomprising: a network interface configured to transmit a search packetfor searching for a network device capable of communicating with theinformation processing apparatus via a network; a display configured todisplay one or more network devices having responded to the searchpacket; and a processor configured to generate location informationincluding device information obtained from a network device selected bya user from the one or more network devices displayed by the display,and to notify the web browser of the generated location information,wherein the web browser obtains, based on the location information,information about a web page for inputting a setting required for usingan email function of the selected network device, from the selectednetwork device, and displays the web page based on the obtainedinformation.
 36. A display method for displaying a web page forinputting a setting required for using an email function of a networkdevice on a web browser of an information processing apparatus capableof communicating with the network device, the display method comprising:searching for a network device capable of communicating with theinformation processing apparatus via a network; displaying one or morenetwork devices searched for in the searching; selecting a networkdevice from the one or more network devices displayed in the displaying;generating location information including device information obtainedfrom the network device selected in the selecting; and notifying the webbrowser of the location information generated in the generating.
 37. Thedisplay method according to claim 36, wherein the location informationis a URL.
 38. The display method according to claim 36, wherein thedevice information is an internet protocol (IP) address of the selectednetwork device.
 39. display method according to claim 36, wherein thelocation information includes the device information obtained from thenetwork device and predetermined information.
 40. The display methodaccording to claim 39, wherein the predetermined information is passinformation or a port number.
 41. The display method according to claim36, wherein the setting required for using the email function is one ormore of information related to an E-mail server, information related toan SMTP authentication, and information related to a destination E-mailaddress.
 42. The display method according to claim 36, wherein thesearching is executed according to a user instruction.
 43. The displaymethod according to claim 36, further comprising obtaining the deviceinformation from the network device capable of communicating with theinformation processing apparatus as a search result of the searching.44. The display method according to claim 36, further comprisingspecifying, based on the device information obtained in the obtaining,the one or more network devices to be displayed in the displaying. 45.The display method according to claim 44, wherein, in the specifying,the one or more network devices to be displayed in the displaying isspecified based on a product name of the network device obtained in theobtaining.
 46. The display method according to claim 36, wherein, in thedisplaying, a device name of a network device and an IP address of thenetwork device are both displayed.
 47. The display method according toclaim 36, wherein, in the generating, the location information isgenerated according to the network device having been selected in theselecting.
 48. An information processing apparatus for displaying, on aweb browser, a web page for inputting a setting required for using anemail function of a network device, the information processing apparatuscomprising: a network interface configured to transmit a search packetfor searching for a network device capable of communicating with theinformation processing apparatus via a network; a display configured todisplay one or more network devices having responded to the searchpacket; and a processor configured to generate location informationincluding device information obtained from a network device selected bya user from the one or more network devices displayed by the display,and to notify the web browser of the generated location information.